After Forever Begins
by Ms. Zoe
Summary: The Cullens have been in Forks, WA for a decade now. It's time to move on. What new challenges will the Cullens come across this time? Written in multiple perspectives. Rated-M to be safe.


Author's Note: I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters in this fanfiction. Stephenie Meyer is the author of the Twilight Saga, and my works are merely a continuation.

Chapter 1- To Go or Not to Go, That Is the Question (Edward's POV)

Ten years since we first came to Forks and people have started to notice Carlisle's lack of aging. He claimed to be 30 when we first arrived, and even that was a stretch. 40, 17 years older than his real age, just isn't realistic anymore.

After graduating, we had to start becoming more and more careful about our appearances around town. Once the summer was over, Alice and I were supposed to be at Harvard, so we had to have premeditated excuses if somebody were to become curious or suspicious. And Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie had to do the same, having "went to Dartmouth" in 2005. After Bella's transformation, she couldn't be out at all, with exceptions being Charlie's house, and occasionally La Push. Jacob granted her access to the reservation, and she went there to drop off Renesmee for visits sometimes.

Our lifestyle was supposed to grant us the freedom to go around town and be normal, but now it was becoming restricting and dangerous. Alice was having visions of people becoming suspicious, so Carlisle has to check every morning if it is safe to go to work. Recently, Carlisle has had to stay home three out of five days a week. We really ought to move as soon as possible.

There are two issues, ones that are solvable but hard to face, that have prevented us from leaving sooner: Jacob and Charlie. Charlie had kept quiet about us, and he seemed to accept Bella's changes with quiet grace. Exposure wasn't really our problem with Charlie. The issue was that both Bella and Renesmee would be devastated if we had cut off our connection to him. It was already hard enough for Bella to say goodbye to her mother and pretend that she had passed away. I didn't want her to lose both of her parents if it wasn't necessary.

"Carlisle, it's becoming too close," Rosalie fretted, "We shouldn't risk it. We need to say goodbye to Charlie and leave."

"Can't we just cut off connections?" Jasper wondered. He was the most cautious of our family when it came to exposure. His experience with the Volturi in the southern covens gave him great respect for the secrecy of our kind.

"I really don't want to do that, Jasper," Bella replied anxiously, "Can't he come to visit sometimes?" Bella offered.

"It's much better for us to have a clean break, Bella," Carlisle refuted. "We don't want to drag any of our past into a new city. It's too dangerous."

Bella nodded in defeat. She understood the truth in his words. I hugged her tightly, wishing that it didn't have to be like this.

Emmett zipped over to the main room, back from his hunting trip with Alice and Esme, and cheerful as always.

"What's up, guys?" he asked.

"We're trying to figure out the Charlie problem," I responded. "Bella doesn't want to completely cut off connections, and Carlisle thinks him visiting us in a new place would cause problems."

"Oh," was all that Emmett had to say. For once, he could read the tone of the room.

As much as I wanted Bella to have a relationship with her father, I agreed with Carlisle and Jasper that we needed to limit Charlie's access to our family.

"Bella, love, I know that it's tough, but the safest thing for Charlie and for us is to have a relationship with him via phone calls," I suggested, "Any other way is just too risky, for both parties."

"I understand," Bella said meekly, her voice submissive. "I just need a chance to say goodbye in person."

"Of course, love. I'm sorry it has to be this way." I apologized, and kissed her gorgeous mahogany locks.

This didn't solve all of our problems, though. Jacob is tied to our daughter for eternity, but he still has loyalty to his pack and love for his mortal father.

According to Jacob's thoughts, he was going to send his pack back to Sam and take off with us, but Leah was holding him back. They had formed a strange friendship, and Jacob didn't feel right about sending her back to Sam. Her feelings of heartbreak and jealousy had not diminished with Sam's absence from her life. This was after all, what Leah had joined Jacob's pack for- escaping Sam. Eventually, Jacob chose her to become his "beta", as Bella apparently called it.

I made a plan to suggest to Jacob to grant Leah the position of alpha when he left. I assume that Leah would accept the offer without hesitation, but I know that both packs would hate to see Jacob go. Becoming part of the Cullen clan does not seem optimal in their minds, and it is not Jacob's favorite either, apart from being with Renesmee and maintaining his friendship with Bella.

Jacob didn't love the idea of leaving to any stretch of the imagination, but it was inevitable. He knew that there was no way he could ever leave Renesmee, and I knew that it would be terrible for her also if they were to separate. Therefore, the only option was for them to stay together, but it was hard for me to consider allowing Nessie to stay back with Jacob. She could not be without her family, for one because we love her to no end, and second because it would be difficult for her to be without those who really understand her- her challenges, her gifts, and her background.

However, it is hard to accept that Jacob would be with us for all eternity. I used to plan on marrying Bella and Jacob slipping out of our memories and our reality. You know the old saying: "Out of sight, out of mind". That was obviously not going to happen. But Jacob had already become such an integral part of our family that there would not be much of a transition, for us at least, if he were to join us.

There was one person that absolutely despised Jacob's plan to leave with us- Rosalie, of course.

"The dog is coming with us?" Rosalie screeched when she heard the news.

"Renesmee needs him, and he needs her, Rose," Bella reminded her gently.

Rosalie scoffed, disgusted.

"You'll have more chances to annoy him is he comes along, Rose," Alice appeased.

"And more chances for him to annoy me…" Rosalie murmured, but they seemed to have placated her for the time being.

All in all, loose ends were tying up without much issue. Carlisle had given his one month notice at the hospital, and we had started to research towns to settle in. The last thing for us to do before we left was say goodbye. This would prove to be the hardest task. Bella and Renesmee must say goodbye to Charlie, and Jacob to his father and to both packs. Knowing- and understanding- Charlie's immense love for Bella and his charming granddaughter, it would be difficult for him to let go. But I was certain that if we explained in the right way he would come to accept it.


End file.
